Have you noticed that praying is hard? You aren’t the only one. Almost all believers would confess that 1) they should pray more than they do 2) prayer does not come naturally to them and 3) it is hard to pray without being distracted.
Here are some suggestions to help you in prayer:
First, planning aids prayer. If you think about it, most of the important things that we do in life are planned. Families plan vacations, couples budget their money and plan for retirement, we make grocery lists before we go to the store, and we schedule to meet with friends. In light of this, we should plan for prayer by scheduling it. It seems that Old Testament saints like Daniel and David had scheduled times of the day in which to pray that aided them in the practice. If you are a morning person, having a scheduled time for prayer in the morning could be helpful. But we should reject dogmatism about the timing of prayer. Different people are sharper at different times of the day. Some people would do well to schedule an early morning prayer time, but others can pray much better in the quiet of night.
Second, memorization aids prayer. Sometimes after we begin to pray, we find that we don’t have enough material to continue (we simply can’t think of what to pray for next). In these moments, it helps to have the Ten Commandments memorized, as well as the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s (or Nicene) Creed. Memorizing Bible passages helps us reflect and meditate as we pray, giving us words and ideas from which to launch into doxology, thanksgiving, and petition. Remember that the line between meditation and prayer is very thin. Memorization aids meditation which aids prayer. Meditation and prayer have a symbiotic relationship.
Third, tools are helpful in prayer. Having an open Bible in front of you and simply praying through the New Testament epistles can be helpful (turning the promises you read into prayers of thanksgiving or the commands into petitions that God would help you obey). Matthew Henry’s A Method for Prayer is a helpful tool to keep close when praying. You have probably heard of the acronym ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication). This can be a helpful tool to bring richer content to your prayers.
Fourth, writing aids prayer. Sometimes when I try to pray I find that I simply can’t concentrate because of a thousand thoughts filling my mind. It is common knowledge that our attention spans have been affected by the use of modern technology. But I have found that writing out my prayers with a pencil and paper is helpful for concentration, since writing aids linear thinking. But what if we aren’t able to write out our prayers? That's okay! If you are driving alone in a car you might consider praying to God out loud. It might even be a help for concentration to sing or chant your prayers (don’t knock it until you try it!). But if you can’t speak out loud because you’re in a public place or lying in bed, your concentration might be aided by simply writing the words that you're praying invisibly with your finger.
Fifth, privacy and place aids prayer. To pray in a concentrated way often requires quiet and solitude. Jesus’ teaching about praying in a “closet” or “inner room” of a house can be a great aid, since getting away from people and other distractions can boost concentration. We see this patterned in Jesus’ own life when he would pray in the morning by himself. It can also be helpful to pray in the same place every day, as familiarity helps us to concentrate.
Sixth, worshipful singing aids (and is) prayer. It is helpful to have a personal Psalter to sing from, or a good and trusted hymnal that you can pick up at various times of the day. Singing psalms and hymns to God is a form of prayer that increases our joy in God, and is something commended in the Bible (James 5:12). Singing regularly through the Psalms is a great way of familiarizing yourself with the book that John Calvin called, “An anatomy of all parts of the soul.” In singing the Psalms, you will often find that the words you couldn’t quite find yourself were specially suited to your situation. That itself can be a cause for praise!
Finally, like most things in life, tenacity is key. If you are a Christian, you have God’s Spirit abiding in you, making you a temple of God’s presence. He will help you, so don’t give up! Work at prayer, persist in it, even using prayer as a means to prayer, asking that God will aid you in a practice that almost all saints find difficult.
Abounding Grace Radio